The Inheritance
by Jav-chan
Summary: Activating the powers behind the curse seal had seemed like the answer. Heightened power and senses. The growing demon that lurked was a small price to pay. Then he met her. Now he just wanted nothing more then to be normal.
1. Prologue

**The Inheritance  
Prologue**

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Sasuke leaned his head heavily against the doorframe when he recognized that scent, his hand gripping the handle. She was pounding the wood too hard, too urgently. He couldn't let her see him like this. Breathing deeply he tried to find that state of calm that used to be so easy around her. Something about her sweet, natural scent was soothing those nerves that seemed to fray just a bit more each day. Something was itching just underneath his skin, like a beetle skittering along his nerves that was urging him to rip open the door and to pull her inside.

Something dark and unpleasant whispered to him to just take her, to pin her beneath his body and show her just how much he hadn't meant those words.

He shuddered and gripped the door frame.

He had sworn, from the first moment that she kissed him with her soft, tempting lips that she would never see the darkness that lurked in him as a result of his stupid, _childish _mistake. He never wanted to see her emerald eyes widen in fear and become wary at the sight of him. Her fear would claw at his heart and awake the instincts that he had been successful in hiding for the past twelve years. The demon in him would grow feral, enraged that she would dare to refuse him.

The demon in Uchiha Sasuke would hurt her.

There was an edge to Sakura's scent as she continued to pound against his door that was preventing that calm. She was worried, almost frantic, about something. He heard her take a shuddering breath before she cried out his name—_damn it_—and Sasuke knew that she was crying.

If he didn't know better then he would say she was scared.

He took another shuddering breath—thankful that he was high enough on Konoha's payroll that he could afford a penthouse—and tried to block out that sense of urgency. If he didn't own the entire floor then there was no doubt that Sakura's shouting and banging would have attracted someone's attention by now, and he just couldn't deal with that.

Hell, he couldn't even handle her right now.

"_Sasuke."_

Her voice caught, and Sasuke only managed to stop himself from moving.

_Don'tdon'tdon't_—

His muscles were bunched and that soft dark voice was asking him just why, _why_ was he pretending to be so good. _He _knew he wasn't good. His entire body was taut, and he could almost tell how her skin would taste.

_Go away. Just GO. _

The metal on the door's handle was starting to break under the force of his grip.

Then there was a sniffle and he heard the sounds of Sakura sliding against the door. He nearly collapsed himself from all of the tension that held him still. Sasuke still refused to remove his hand from the handle. He couldn't _afford_ to, not until he knew that she was gone and that she wasn't coming back. Why was she even here anyway?

There was silence, and he cursed in four different languages. Why the hell wasn't she leaving?

"Sakura-chan?"

The voice that broke the silence was soft and distinctly _male_. The undertone of threat in the way that her name was said had a feral growl building in Sasuke's chest.

He didn't move. He didn't even dare to _breathe._

_I know that voice._

The heavy silence had been broken, and he could quite clearly hear the way that Sakura was breathing rather heavily. There was a clattering sound as she scrambled up and away from the door. Her voice when she spoke was shrill, the fear as evident there as it filtered into her scent.

"_Don't touch me!"_

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**Here's another new Naruto fic. Too thick I swore I would never touch this fandom with a 10-foot pole. I hope you enjoy this little tidbit. This takes place in the same world as Konoha Corp. which I will be posting sometime early this summer. I would post it sooner, but my paralegal class leaves me with not a whole lot of free time. Expect bi-weekly updates for this and WANTED in the meantime.**

**Hopefully.**


	2. Consequences

**The Inheritance**

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**Chapter 1  
Consequences**

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_Sasuke_ _was only 12 when he broke the seal on the scroll __hiding__ the Uchiha clan's most guarded secret. From the time when they were first able to throw kunai__,__ every child of the clan was told the tragic legend of a proud __Clan __heir, and how a moment of weakness had not only claimed his life, but also cursed his entire line. _

_It was a hebi youkai, the legends said, disguised as a young man whose features was rumored to have a slight reptilian cast._ _The youkai seduced __the heir to the Uchiha, even though it was never quite understood how._ _In that moment of weakness, the youkai injected his venom into the Uchiha's shoulder. _

_It would have been a blessing if it had killed the Uchiha immediately._

_Though weakened, the heir had finally managed to break free of the youkai's spell and it had been little trouble for him to behead the shape shifter. It was__n't__ until years later, when the heir had taken over as head of the Uchiha clan and __begot_ _heirs_ _of his own that the curse made itself evident. It was at this point that the scrolls kept by each of the families of the clan varied in detail. Some scrolls claimed that a green sickness had gripped their ancestor's skin before killing him. The scrolls kept by the family that continued to claim leadership of the clan state__d__ that the strange mole that each Uchiha bore on the back of their left shoulder, just at the juncture where the collar bone met the neck, was actually the source of the curse._

_Of course, due to the unknown nature of the curse not a member of one of Konoha's most skilled ninja clans dared to test the alleged source._

_Sometimes, Sasuke wondered what his ancestor would have thought about how much things had changed since __his__ death that had __presented them with the __curse. _

_How would he have felt to discover that the once great hidden villages of Japan had been reduced to nothing more then pitiful corporations that were little better then mercenaries__? _

_From what he knew __of __the law suits that were brought against ANBU it was a wonder that Konoha still existed at all. _

_And to think that the former __L__eaf village was considered to be the most discrete of all of ninja corporations when it came to assassinations…_

_Many a time Sasuke wondered how ashamed his ancestor would have been to discover that he had a descendant who was weak enough to want to risk tapping into the unknown, volatile strength that could be found in the curse seal. _

_All because of the bitter jealousy of an elder brother who was a genius of the like which was only seen once or twice every century, and to have a (sometimes) best friend who was descended from the line of a Hokage who had sealed a __kyuubi__. It probably would have been better if he had heeded Hinata's advice. After all, there was no one in all of the clans who knew the bitter feeling of being the offspring of a clan leader and still be found wanting than the Hyuuga heiress. He didn't understand how she could be so calm when there was a member of the branch family that possessed the kind of talent that Hinata's own father wished she had._

_If there was a secret curse in the Hyuuga bloodline Sasuke knew without any possible doubt that the milky eyed kunoichi would never had dared to even _think _of using it._

_Neiji_ _had called it fate once, and there were times when the young Uchiha was inclined to agree._

_After all it certainly wasn't a mistake that the cursed ancestor was also named Sasuke. _

XXX

The fog that had collected on the mirror was starting to fade away as the air chilled, but he ignored it. Twisting, he craned his neck until he could clearly see the swirling mark.

The curse seal.

He hadn't bothered to towel after his shower, and the water was drying over the corded muscles of his shoulder. Maybe it was because of the dying steam that was the result of a too hot shower, but somehow the black marks seemed so much more stark against the paleness of his skin then usual. The swirling black looked so much like the tomoe of the sharingan, and as he turned trying to find an angle that made a study of the Uchiha's curse not quite so uncomfortable he was thankful that he had decided to see Kakashi and the Hokage when he did.

Three months ago he had approached his former sensei and CEO of Konoha Corp. expressing his concern. It had unnerved him, the morning that he had woken up to see the swirling marks covering his skin in a disturbing myriad of black and milky flesh that had spread across his arm; and he had only been able to watch in fascination at the way it spread across his chest before his very eyes. He highly doubted it was merely coincidence that the worse spread of the curse had happened just the morning after a particular difficult mission that had resulted in fighting nin that possessed a calibre of strength that was quite rare these days.

Thankfully the seal that the Hokage had assisted Kakashi in applying to his shoulder had muted the power that had coursed through his veins and caused the marking to recede. For each morning, in the month that had followed, Sasuke had dreaded waking up and looking into his mirror would only show that the seals of two of Konoha's strongest nin had failed and that he was truly doomed.

Still, while the seal never escaped outside of the delicate lines that had been engraved upon his skin, he had been unable to shake that dreadful feeling that some irreparable damage had been done. The feeling of a small, disgusting insect dancing upon his nerves had never quite left him.

Then there were the changes.

At first there were small things that could simply be brushed off. If his mother commented on how his hair seemed to be getting scruffy and that it seemed a bit too long it could so easily be attributed to the fact that he simply hadn't had time to go to the salon. If his nails seemed to be getting a bit long, a bit pointed, then it was obviously time for him to schedule another manicure.

Unfortunately not all of them could be attributed to negligence.

Because he was broody by nature no one really commented on the fact that he seemed exceptionally edgy. The attentions and constant date requests from the kunoichi around the corporation had finally gotten to a point where he rented a penthouse on the other side of the city to just get away from everything. More than one time he had been required to leave the meeting rooms, just to stop himself from lashing out at Karin. His mother seemed to be the only woman that he could tolerate for long periods of time; even the Hokage's presence grated on his nerves.

He had become even more reclusive than Itachi. When he wasn't on missions or attending to shinobi required functions then Sasuke was in his apartment reading.

Blood seemed to be the only thing that could stem the quiet rage that was steadily becoming harder and harder to control.

Digging his nails into the flesh of his shoulder hard enough to draw blood he tried to draw a steadying breath. Despair was like a finely honed kunai. He didn't know how much longer he could hold it back, and what would happen to him, to his very livelihood when he didn't have the willpower to hold it back anymore.

XXX

Tsunade's amber eyes were solemn as she regarded Naruto. She studied the stubborn set on the lines on his face. She wasn't entirely too surprised to see that he had _that_ look on his face. The look that said he was completely confident in what he was doing and there was no chance of getting him to change his mind. It would be a useful trait when he was actually _mature_ enough to take over the company for her, but until that time it would always be nothing more than annoyance.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" Her eyes slid over to observe Kakashi. For once his nose wasn't buried in that damnable book. His usual aloof amusement was gone, and it was a reassurance to know that he understood the severity of the situation. The silver haired jounin gave a slight nod to show that he, at least, had taken some time to give Naruto's proposal some serious thought.

If she had thought for a moment that things were going to turn out this way then she wasn't entirely certain that she wouldn't have had the Uchiha quarantined.

"This mission is just what teme needs! It's not normal for him to go for so long without."

Tsunade couldn't help but raise her brow at this, her lip quirking up into slight amusement despite the difficulty of the situation.

"Sasuke isn't Itachi, Naruto."

The fair haired boy just snorted as if that was obvious. "That's why he needs this mission. Seduction of an heiress is just what he needs! Besides with him there the rest of us won't need to work as hard."

The boy did have a point, however…

"What assurance do we have Naruto, that we won't have a repeat of what happened on the last mission? After all he will be attempting to seduce the daughter of the man who heads the traffic ring. This isn't a mission to be taken lightly. I'm more inclined to give this one to Neji because at least he would have a sane presence of mind. Somewhat."

"He'll probably just scare her away. Come on baa-san! Teme needs to get laid. It's just what he needs to get over this curse."

It wasn't very difficult to resist the urge to roll her eyes. Sometimes she wasn't sure whether to call him optimistic or naïve. Maybe it was because she wanted to believe him—after all, she wasn't looking forward to the headache and the paperwork that would result if she was forced to quarantine Sasuke—that she let the 'baa-san' comment go.

"Will you be able to stop him if he starts to lose control like he did last time?"

Naruto clenched his hand into a fist and grinned. "I'm the only one who can."

Tsunade was quite sure that Naruto was going to be the end of her one of these days.

XXX

"Seduction." His voice was flat even though he had the sudden, undeniable urge to wring Naruto's scrawny neck. "We are going on a seduction mission?" Just the thought of having to touch a woman made his skin crawl.

"The old woman wanted us to be careful since this woman is his daughter, and this is the one chance that we will have. Besides I heard his daughter is really cute. Besides you won't be going alone. Hinata-chan received an invitation to attend some party that Imonoyama is throwing. I think your brother received one too. Baa-san says that you will be using his. Kakashi-sensei should be there as well."

"I don't much of a choice do I?" Sasuke reached up and rubbed at the curse seal hidden beneath his clothing. There had been rumors of isolation the last time he had visited the clan. Was this going to be the only chance that he had to prove that he could control the effects of the curse?

It wasn't reassuring at all knowing that Naruto and Kakashi would be there in case anything went wrong.

"When do we leave?"

"Baa-san will give the mission details tomorrow. We'll be leaving for the Imonoyama estate tomorrow night."

"Not even twenty-four hours." Sasuke muttered.

XXX

She kept her eyes lowered as she played with a loose curl of pink hair. Her father's rage was a tangible thing, something that she could nearly taste, and she really wanted to be anywhere else but in the sitting room. Biting her lip, Sakura could only hope that maybe she would get lucky this time, and that he would leave without even noticing her. Her father was furious but that was only to be expected after considering how much he had lost with the last raid.

A chill crept down her spine.

Given his mood she didn't understand why he was insisting on going through with this whole mess.

Well no. _That's not quite true._ She thought bitterly, taking care to not display her emotions on her face. _Why would he miss a prime opportunity to make a bit of profit? _Just the thought was enough to make her skin crawl, and she fixed her gaze on the Venetian glass vase on the other side of the room. The gardener had placed a single orchid in the slender, bottleneck vase and she allowed the vibrant color of the flower to draw her attention.

Her father continued to pace the room as he spoke softly into his Bluetooth.

She hated it when he spoke softly. It would have been more reassuring if he was screaming.

"I didn't think you understand, Matsuhira. Honda-san is the one person who must attend. I don't care if that old bat is black listing the event. You will remind Honda-san of the agreement, and you _will_ see to it that Masato-kun is there tomorrow night. No excuses." There was an edge of menace to his voice as he flipped his phone shut and Sakura flinched at the gentleness in which he laid the headset on the table.

Dread filled her but she straightened her spine and forced herself to meet her father's flinty gaze.

"It will be tomorrow night then?" Inwardly she winced. Her voice sounded much too loud, and he was in a foul enough mood to reprimand her for that.

"See that you are ready."

Sakura tilted her head respectfully. She no more wanted to attend this stupid function then she wanted to be in the same room with him. It was always safer to ride out his fury in the sanctuary of her own room.

"As you wish, Father." Gauging that it was finally safe enough to request his leave she stood up. "If there is nothing else you require of me then I shall retire." At his nod, she walked out of the sitting room as quickly as she dared.

"_Sakura_." He didn't speak until she had reached the door, and the contempt in his voice had her chewing on her lip to hold back the tears. "See to it that you don't screw _this_ up at least."

She couldn't even utter a respectable reply as she turned the intricate handle and slipped from the room. She fought against a heaving sob as it clicked shut behind her.

It was too much to ask for, wasn't it?

To even want to be seen as something beside a commodity by that man obviously wasn't that much different than trying to reach for a star. After all it had been the same way with her mother. All he saw was the profit and what could possibly be gained. He was a talented businessman and ruthless. It was that same ruthlessness that made him such a terrible father.

No, he didn't even qualify as a decent human being.

It was a cold comfort that, at the very least, when her husband was chosen that she would no longer have to worry and tread along carefully by her father and his temper.

XXX

His muscles nearly screamed as he ran through the Uchiha training complex, vaulting over a tree as he pushed himself to move faster. He felt tight, coiled, and his temper was being contained by a frayed leash.

All he had to do was complete the mission tomorrow night and then the Hokage would put him back on the roster.

The thought wasn't quite the balm on his nerves that he knew Kakashi had hoped it would be.

When he was 13 Sasuke had gone on his first A class mission not far from Hokkaido. As terrifying as that mission had been it was nothing compared to the fear that he felt now. Although it hadn't been said, he was keenly aware of how precarious the position he was in. He was fortunate to have Naruto. His exuberant friend had close connections with Tsunade-sama and it was those connections that had encouraged the Hokage to fight the council in giving him one more chance.

Letting out a roar of frustration Sasuke slammed his fist into a nearby concrete wall. Cracks spidered along the wall from the hole he had caused.

While he was grateful for Naruto, he was absolutely furious with Itachi for getting involved with the clan elders.

Sasuke's chest heaved with exertion as he tried to get his rage under control.

It was all his brother's fault that he was in this position in the first place. If it wasn't for his damn genius and his need to out class Sasuke in _everything_ then he would never have needed to activate the curse seal in the first.

The warm blood was wet as it trickled from the cracked skin of his knuckles. It was only then that he realized he was shaking.

A few more. If he kept this up for a few more hours maybe he would get lucky and collapse from exhaustion. If his luck continued to hold then maybe the exhaustion would stay with him throughout the entire mission. It was the only way he could see himself surviving it.

Within the past four hours his sense of smell had become so acute that it had been all he could do but restrain himself from punching Karin. The bloody annoying red head, and her high-pitched _grating_ giggle, and her shouts of "_Sasuke-kun!_

The sudden desire to bloody her face, and the satisfaction that just the thought of hearing her bones crack under his fist scared him.

It wasn't until he felt the wetness on his cheeks that Sasuke even realized that he was crying.

By the gods, how was he going to get through tomorrow night?


	3. Need

This chapter is dedicated to my kick ass beta, for returning it to me on the day I get it to her. Suils, you put up with a lot of crap from me. Thanks!

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**The Inheritance**

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**Chapter 2  
Need**

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A light blush colored Hinata's pale cheeks a rather fetching shade of pink Sasuke decided as he watched her fuss over Naruto's tie. Said boy was practically sulking because Tsunade-sama had adamantly refused to let him wear orange in any shade or form. The dark blue tie, he noticed as she folded the crisp collar over it, was the same color of her dress. He had been rather skeptical when Hinata had asked Naruto for help picking a dress.

It had been entirely unsurprising, that the first dress his friend had chosen had been orange. After all, even though he was banned from wearing orange didn't mean that Hinata couldn't get away with it. What had been surprising was the fact that the dress could almost be considered tasteful.

The poor girl had nearly been unable to refuse Naruto, especially when he directed her with _that_ too bright smile. Her face had flushed crimson and she had hardly been able to murmur out some sort of response.

When Sasuke had bluntly pointed out that Tsunade-sama would not be too kind to the Hyuuga heiress for ignoring her decree, Naruto had reluctantly agreed to choose something else. The second choice had been a blue sheath dress that went down to Hinata's ankles. A sheath dress with straps that were very similar to a halter top and even Sasuke couldn't help but notice the way that it pressed her breasts together.

He rather suspected that after tonight her face would remain permanently pink.

Turning away from a scene that some would consider adorable, Sasuke turned his attention to his own tie, made of silk that was a dark yellow that could almost be considered gold. Personally, he thought it made him look rather…cheap, as he studied himself in the mirror while making corrections to his own tie. It was too bright against the black of his suit jacket. Even though he understood that both Naruto would be attending the function in the capacity as Hinata's escort he still resented the fact that the blonde was the one who had laid claim to the sapphire-hued tie.

Then he remembered just why he was required to dress up in such a stuffy outfit in the first place.

He clenched his hand into a fist, uncaring when his unusually sharp nails punctured his skin deep enough to draw blood.

The artificial scents preferred by the women who belonged to the upper echelons of society were repulsive enough as it was. Having to be _charming_ to the daughter of that monster was going to be nigh unbearable.

Sasuke honestly didn't think that he was going to be capable of doing it. It was a relief that Kakashi was going to be there disguised as a servant. (It went unsaid, and Sasuke would never admit it, but both he and Naruto were almost looking forward to finally seeing what their old sensei looked liked underneath that mask. If it came to the worst then, at the least, Kakashi would be able to control the curse just enough for Sasuke to get out of there without hurting anyone.

He had never thought of himself as much of a danger, even when he started to become aware of the side effects of the power that he tapped into, but with all the rumors he had caught wind of—of all of the talk, even from his own clan, that he was a danger and needed to be quarantined—he almost despaired when he found himself wondering if perhaps they were right.

He only hoped that he could hold his temper enough to resist the urge to tear that girl apart when the time came.

XXX

Sakura couldn't help but repress a shudder. She had never cared for these types of events and too many of her father's clients and investors were in attendance with their sons. Most of whom were men of far too similar of a nature for her liking. Her dress certainly wasn't helping matters at all.

It was pretty enough, even she could admit to that. A deep sapphire, it held a simple elegance that was seldom seen anymore. Most of the women that attended these high class preferred slinky gowns or sheath dresses that seemed to cling to their skin. The skirt puffed out in an imitation of the older fashions of the West, just enough so that there was a slight train. A golden brooch encrusted with diamonds of the finest cut was nestled in the material between her breasts, and a second made of a similar fashion was attached to the folded material at her left hip. It appealed to the childish, romantic side of her that admired the dresses that girls wore in fairy tales.

Beautiful as it was though, Sakura found herself despising it.

The train was a nuisance. Either people took no notice of the dark blue material that glided behind her as she walked or they did and decide to walk over it with a vengeance. Then there was the fact that she had been forced into a horrible corset that only served to emphasize her breasts. She had caught more than one of her dance partners trying to peer down her accentuated cleavage. The worst part was that most of those men were the men her father wanted her to dance with.

This was only made worse by the extremely low cut at the back of her dress. Thankfully, only two of her dance partners had seen fit to splay their hands at the exact position so that their fingers touched the bare skin of her back. Unfortunately, more than once she had found those same partners trying to discretely undo the laces that were tied at the small of her back. Not to mention that she _hated_ dresses with bare shoulders. Gooseflesh had nearly risen on the entirety of her skin and she despised feeling so exposed.

Another name was announced and another son of one of her father's clients approached her. Biting the inside of her lip, Sakura gave him her best practice smile. If there was one thing about Honda Masato then at least he was good looking. Closing her eyes she tried to concentrate on the tragic murmur of the ehru instead of the heavy feel of the Honda heir's hand against the curve of her hip. Something about the way he held her made her uneasy.

_But,_ Sakura tried to console and distract herself, _It could be worse._

XXX

Just as they were stepping outside of the limousine that the Hokage had rented for the mission (Naruto had, in a surprising move, held the door open for Hinata and offered his hand as she slid out of her seat) the skittering feeling of his nerves returned in full force. Sasuke bit the inside of his cheek hard enough to draw blood. He welcomed the metallic tang. If nothing else, at least it helped to ease his temper at the sudden onslaught of feminine scents. His stomach rolled awkwardly and he had to clench his hands tight enough to draw blood to resist the urge to rip apart the car's upholstery with his fingers as he followed Hinata out of the car.

It was worse than he had imagined.

It was terrifying, with how acutely he could feel the brand of the curse seal, and he had to take slow, deep breaths in orders to keep his already volatile emotions at bay. At any other time he would have cheerfully strangled Naruto for putting him in this position in the first place. As it was, he gritted his teeth fighting the urge to activate the sharingan, a red haze that was starting to become frighteningly familiar settled over his vision.

Taking deep breaths, Sasuke kept his fists clenched and his eyes trained on the ground. If he had to actually look any of those bitches in the face…

He felt strung as tightly as a trip wire and the worst part was that there would be no sort of outlet for several hours, and that was only if he was lucky. At that moment Sasuke didn't think that there was a moment when he envied Kakashi more. At least if he had been playing the part of a servant it would be easy enough to slip away to a place that was easier to breathe.

As it was he was forced to keep his eyes to the ground; the scent was a little more bearable if he didn't actually have to look at them. Their tittering voices were annoying, more so than even the dobe's, but Hinata's soft voice gave him a little bit of balance as she led their small group through the winding halls of the Imonoyama Estate with a stately grace.

Sasuke let his mind wander. How could anyone in this estate sleep at night if they knew just exactly what all of this money had been carved from. His vision misted crimson, and suddenly all he could feel was the thickness of the hot blood as it slid over his skin when he had torn into that man's gut with his claws. The skin between his fingers felt sticky, and he was only vaguely aware of the grating scents of the women decked in jewels and silks, the sweetness of wine and champagne, and the sharp scent of the spiced meat that Imonoyama had prepared for dinner. It was all dominated by the bitter-metallic scent of blood.

He hardly even heard Naruto and Hinata softly calling his name.

It was only when they entered the main ballroom that the red haze receded and he was able to pick out another scent over the shadow of the blood scent. He couldn't place it, but he had a distinct impression that it was female. That alone was enough to startle him out of the encroaching bloodlust completely and he blinked several times, confused.

To call the room, a dancing hall he supposed, large would have been a vast understatement. It would have been akin to calling the Great Kanto Quake of 1923 a slight tremor. The expansive hall had an enormous, vaulted ceiling from which elegant crystal chandeliers hung, the multi-faceted stones reflecting a myriad of colors. The whole building seemed to be structured of nothing but marble and glass, and it was considerably large enough that from their viewpoint at the hall's entrance the three nin couldn't see the other side of the hall. If Sasuke had been asked to hazard a guess about the building structure then he would have surmised that the dance hall itself was a separate building from the rest of the estate, one that had the obvious intent as a not so subtle display of Imonoyama's obvious wealth.

As his dark eyes searched through the throngs of people, unconsciously trying to identify that one particular scent that made it so much easier to breathe, he couldn't help but wonder how many of the people knew that most of this wealth was built on blood money. Hinata, he noticed out of the corner of his eye, was worrying her lower lip between her teeth and the expression in her milky eyes was almost distasteful. Apparently, even as an heiress to a clan that was rather well known for it's displays of wealth, she found such a display equally distasteful.

Naruto, predictably enough, seemed unimpressed.

Kakashi, he noticed through the receding red haze, was at a far corner…without his mask. Before he could even make the chance to draw Naruto's attention to their maskless sensei—damn it, he was hiding the lower half of his face behind flute champagne glasses—that sweet scent broke through the brief distraction.

Then there was a flash of swirling sapphire brocade and a flash of—_pink?_—hair and the owner of the scent was swirling past their small group as they got closer to the fringes of people gathered around the dance floor.

XXX

There was something about Masato-kun that Sakura couldn't quite place. All she knew was that it was something that she really didn't like. It was something that caused gooseflesh to raise along her skin when he pulled her closer. Years of practice at these horrible functions was the only thing that allowed her to keep a pleasant smile plastered onto her face when he looked down at her. When he had requested that she call him Masato-kun instead of Honda-san she hadn't been able to refuse him, and that fact alone was enough to frighten her. Something in his tone had stopped her from refusing him.

His moves were almost awkward as he spun her around the dance floor, and it was fortunate that the other dancers gave them such a wide berth. For all of what she had heard about Honda Masato he was nothing of the perfection that he was rumored to be. She supposed that the only reason why no one thought that he was anything less than perfect had to do with the fact that he was very good at appearances. That, and there was something about his body language that conveyed all sort of promises even if his dancing was anything less than perfect.

She grit her teeth against the painful press of his fingers along the bare skin just above the small of her back; there would be bruises there in the morning no doubt.

He pulled her even closer—she was definitely pressed much closer to him than was necessary or even considered proper—and her cheeks flushed crimson with humiliation at the way his breath felt so harsh against her bare neck. Gods, this was so embarrassing.

Sakura was only too thankful when the music finally slowed to a stop and Masato-kun was forced to release her or potentially risk a scandal. Whatever he wanted—and she had been pressed hard enough against him to know what exactly _that_ was—his father was still a client of her father's. It didn't matter who it was, her father never took kindly to those who risked indecency and no matter what it was he was thinking it appeared that Masato-kun had enough common sense for that. He released her enough so that she could step back away from him and finally breathe but his hand never left her waist.

When he shifted his hold on her so that one hand rested firmly on the curve of her hip Sakura knew that she was going to be stuck with him for the rest of the night. Briefly, when she turned, she caught a glimpse of her father and her stomach twisted unpleasantly at the satisfied look that was evident on his face. It was enough to make her look away.

She really needed to try and get away from the Honda heir, even if it was only to get a chance to inhale without someone literally breathing down her neck. It was at that moment that her stomach gurgled in a soft reminder that she hadn't eaten anything for nearly seven hours and if she didn't get something to eat soon she was going to severely regret it.

"Masato-kun." It was unnerving how attuned he seemed to be to her, because she had hardly spoken above a whisper. "Could you please get me something from the banquet table?" Preferably before something embarrassing happened, like her stomach growling. She kept her eyes lowered, refusing to see the amusement that pratically radiated from him. Apparently he was similar enough to her father that he had difficulties comprehending the fact that women did need to eat just like anyone else.

Fortunately, his amusement was enough that he decided to humor her, and he left her side with a soft order for her to stay by the wall next to one of the ice sculptures. She watched him make his way to the table before turning to walk towards the sculpture. She really hoped that it was just her imagination but it had seemed like there was something in his tone that seemed almost threatening.

She hugged herself when she was finally able to lean against the wall and rest. She had known that it would be bad—after all being forced to choose a fiancé from a group of men that consisted primarily of her father's clients and their sons was not something she would have done if she had the choice—but she hadn't expected to feel like _this_.

This horrible, almost violated feeling of being wasn't expected. Her father was over at the other end of the dancing hall, talking to the elder Honda. She tried to tell herself that she really could do worse than Masato-kun, but this horrible sinking feeling that had settled into her gut that this probably _was_ the worst that she could do, the very lowest that she could go.

For a brief moment she almost resented the fact that she was able to get her dance partner—most likely soon to be fiancé—to leave her and give her a chance to breathe because the urge to cry was nearly stifling.

When the music started up again Sakura found herself extremely grateful that Masato-kun had left her to retrieve food. It was a slow and elegant melody, a beautifully mournful song that made the heart of her inner romantic ache.

It was also the type of song in which lovers danced close together. Just the thought of dancing that close to Masato-kun made her ill.

She supposed that she should have been grateful that no one had taken the opportunity to approach her. At least that way she wouldn't have to think of any ways to refuse anyone, but it also meant that she had no chance for escape. As she studied the slowly melting ice sculpture Sakura couldn't shake this feeling that Masato had branded her in some manner, and that no _potential_ fiancé would approach her now.

XXX

"The target is against the wall by the ice sculpture." Kakashi muttered quietly as he slowly passed the small group carrying a tray laden with empty champagne flutes.

Sasuke hardly took notice of it; his eyes still pinned on the woman in the deep sapphire gown. Her rosette locks were swept up into tight curls that were pinned carefully to the back of her head, and something fierce and possessive welled up inside of him at the sight of her leaning against the wall.

Her scent had been so sweet, so engaging.

"The Honda heir is preoccupied." Hinata murmured softly from her place at Naruto's side. Sasuke glanced briefly over at her, irritated, and saw that her gaze was not on the young woman but rather on the other side of the room. Her milky eyes narrowed. "It looks like he will be occupied for some time."

"There you go, teme! Now's your chance to go sweep her off her feet. Hina-chan and I will keep him busy so you go do what you need to!"

Naruto had hardly even managed to finish his sentence and Sasuke was already roughly pushing his way through the crowd to get to the owner of that enticing scent.

The seduction mission was the furthest thing from his mind, even as the receding rational side of his brain informed him that he was a rather lucky bastard that she so happened to be the target.

He didn't care. All he wanted to do was touch her, hold her, and find out if her curves were as soft as they looked.

XXX

She was intently studying the shimmering blue material of the hem of her gown and the way the darkness of the sapphire color looked against the gold-veined black marble of the dance floor when she heard the sound of rushed footsteps as someone stepped past the ice sculpture. Instinctively, she flinched back, her eyes closing so that she wouldn't have to look at Masato-kun. Obviously she had done something to upset him, even though she was only doing exactly what he told her to do.

Silence followed, broken only by the haunting music. Sakura still didn't dare to look up and waited.

"Why are you scared?"

That thick, rich voice most definitely did not belong to Masato-kun. Her head whipped up, her eyes open, as she stared at the man—_definitely not Masato-kun_—who had dared to approach her. Her mouth went dry.

When Masato-kun—and it really was troubling on so many levels that she was having difficulties of even _thinking_ of him as Honda or just Masato—had first been introduced to her she had noticed that he was attractive, but not overly so. He had the same chiseled features that so many of her father's acquaintances seemed to have. Attractive was certainly an understatement in describing the man that stood before her, even handsome seemed to be grossly inadequate.

Beautiful might be more appropriate.

Maybe painfully beautiful.

Chances were that he probably wasn't at all acquainted with her father. Sakura was quite certain that she would remember him if he was.

He was obviously from a well to do family, he could have been dressed in nothing but rags, but the aristocratic lines of his face would have named him as nobility. His obsidian eyes could only be called smoldering as he watched her, hesitation touching those dark depths. His dark, raven hair was sleek, but something about the way it was brushed back gave her the distinct impression that it usually wasn't so neat. Sakura opened her mouth to say something, maybe to ask his name—she wasn't quite sure—when he abruptly seemed to go tense. Then his hand was gripping her wrist and he was pulling her onto the dance floor. It was a wonder she didn't fall with the way that he was pulling her along.

Out of the corner of her eyes she saw Masato-kun, walking along the edge of the crowds with a tray laden with food, and the look he gave her had her nearly stumbling in an attempt to keep up with this handsome stranger. They were nearly at the very center of the dance floor before he finally stopped. She squeaked when his arm wrapped around her waist and held her close.

Sakura tensed for a half a moment, her movements automatic as she allowed him to take her hand while she rested the other one gently on his shoulder. His shoulder, she was surprised to note, was broad and muscular. She could only look at him in silent amazement as he led her through the steps of the dance. The surety of the warm, callused palm that was resting against the bare skin of her back had her heart thudding in her chest, and her cheeks flamed at the sudden disappointment that she felt when he didn't pull her in closer.

She looked up at him, her green eyes wondering, and was a little taken aback to see him staring at her so intently, as if he was waiting for something.

It was a little late for introductions now, and she didn't dare ask him for his name with so many of her father's clients nearby.

"You smell good." He whispered raggedly, his face lowering to hers and for one heart pounding moment she thought he was going to kiss her.

Her cheeks flamed an even darker scarlet at the disappointment she felt when he didn't, and then she wondered at her own reaction. After all being told she smelt good was _not_ the most flattering thing that had been said to her all night; and if she wasn't in her father's dance hall surrounded by his spies she might have possibly done something about. Sakura actually wasn't quite sure as she found her own gaze inexplicably drawn to his eyes. It really wasn't quite fair, but there was something about the intensity that she saw there that seemed to rob her of all speech. So she settled for a mumbled thank you, even though she wasn't completely sure if it was a compliment.

Her heart thudded in her chest when the haunting music finally came to an end and she found herself gripping his shoulder and his hand a little tighter than she had meant to. Sakura fervently wished that the music would start up again so that he would have an excuse to draw her into another dance, once more in his arms. Without the excuse of proper etiquette to hide behind she knew it wouldn't be long before Masato-kun would come over to take her away, and for some reason that scared her.

It almost terrified her.

It took her a moment to notice that her hand had somehow slid down from his shoulder and was now resting on his chest, and that said chest was vibrating in the most peculiar manner. Biting her lip, and feeling embarrassingly shy in a way that she never had before, she looked at him through her lashes, her cheeks reddening even further at the startling realization that his gaze was focused completely on her mouth. The arm around her waist tightened in a possessive manner similar to the way that Masato-kun was holding her earlier, but instead of making her skin crawl a fission of nerves exploded in her belly. There was a dark promise in those obsidian eyes, and for a moment she wasn't quite sure if it was something that she was completely adverse to. He pulled her closer, close enough that she could feel his body heat and it was all that she could do to keep herself from blushing further.

"Sakura." The edge to Masato-kun's voice had her fighting the urge to tremble and she was suddenly very thankful for this man's closeness.

His smoldering eyes slid away from her face to look past her, and Sakura was only thankful that the way those eyes narrowed and darkened wasn't focused on her. Almost reluctantly she let her hand drop from his chest, but didn't pull away. It was strange, there was something about his warmth that almost felt…safe.

"Sakura." She flinched visibly when the Honda heir repeated her name.

It was only then that she became aware that the strange vibration she had felt from his chest was a low growl. Watching him carefully—and wondering what, exactly, had she gotten herself into?—Sakura moved to turn and face the man who had basically declared himself her fiancé only to freeze when she felt the strong, callused fingers of the unknown stranger start to run down the length of her spine. Unable to help herself she shivered, and nearly squeaked when she was pulled into a tighter embrace.

XXX

Although Sasuke was very reluctant to admit it, even he could acknowledge that maybe, perhaps, he did owe the dobe something for convincing the Hokage to drag him along. He wasn't quite sure if it was a curse or a blessing; all he knew was that when this party was over that he was going to have a very difficult time letting go of the woman in his arms and leaving her. The possessiveness, just the way it had him barely able to contain the urge to growl at the clean-shaven man that had been dancing with her earlier, should have worried him. It should have scared him, but he found himself not even questioning or wondering about it. He just found himself pulling her closer so that he could just concentrate on her sweet softness. It was steadily becoming harder to restrain himself and he constantly had to remind himself that he was on a mission.

Before he returned home he would need to make a quick stop at his family's compound to light some incense in offering to whatever gods had deemed to make things convenient enough that the girl he was required to seduce was one who was so undeniable tantalizing.

He didn't think anyone would ever call her truly beautiful, and as much as her scent appealed to him, even Sasuke could reluctantly admit that. Her hair color was just too odd, and she wasn't of the tall, leggy variety that seemed to be so popular nowadays. Which was fine with him. Tall and leggy were two words that were most often associated with Karin, and while the medic was talented and intelligent he could only ever take her in small doses.

And that was before the curse seal had been activated.

He nearly bared his teeth at a woman covered in furs and jewels when she and her partner danced closer than he was comfortable with. The hand gripping the waist of his target flexed as he just tried to concentrate on her to take the edge off of his temper. She was smaller than the women he was used to. All of the kunoichi that he worked with were much taller, but he found that he liked her slight form. For some reason it made her seem softer. He was able to keep a self satisfied smirk off of his face when she blushed prettily as she stared at him. The bare skin at her back (he _really_ did _not_ approve of the dress that she was wearing) was soft, almost satiny, and it was taking all of his self restraint not to cup her cheek and run his thumb slowly along the curve of her cheek.

Then a voice called her name and it was all he could do to keep from pulling her more firmly against him, possibly even hiding her from sight.

The clean shaven man with grey eyes, the one that had been holding her so possessively before, was glaring at the two of them. He took note of her name,_ Sa__k_u_ra_—it was really fitting, but he held her firmly against his side, not releasing her when the music stopped.

It took him a moment but then he realized that it wasn't him that was holding her tightly, but _she_ was tightening _her_ grip and her scent was tinged with the awfully sour scent of fear. Even though he knew it might frighten her he couldn't resist the urge to growl. He was only vaguely aware that he was radiating killing intent, but it didn't matter. He had heard many things about the Honda heir and none of them were good. Maybe that was why the thought of him touching the woman in _his_ arms made him sick to his stomach.

It certainly had nothing to do with the fact that he quite simply didn't want any of the men and haughty heirs in the room, none of the men that had undoubtedly approached her, touching or holding her the way that he was holding her now.

Besides it really didn't matter in comparison to just how much he wanted nothing more than to dig his kunai deep into the man's jugular. He was only a civilian, and the only shinobi that would be capable of picking up on it wouldn't dare to interfere.

It wasn't until he felt the gooseflesh raise along her skin that Sasuke was pulled from his musings and realized that he had been stroking the line of her spine where it was exposed above her back. It was taking a great deal of effort to stop himself from pulling her close against him, in a way that made his intentions clear. He liked the feel of her skin under his fingertips, and he itched to place his hands possessively on the curves of her bare hips.

Instinct was goading him to wrap his arms around her and drag her to the nearest dark corner just so he could bury his nose in the smooth juncture of her throat and breathe deep her sweet scent.

Never, never since the effects of the curse had started to get worse, had a woman looked or smelled so damn appealing.

Yet, why was it that he couldn't shake the almost damnable feeling that it was a scent that he was familiar with.

He released her hand so that he could bring his other hand to splay on her upper back and hide her skin. The Honda heir turned purple and looked as if he was about to protest. Sasuke was barely able to bring himself to smirk at the other man before he leaned down so that his nose was just brushing the lobe of her ear.

"Why don't you and I go outside? It's a little too stuffy in here for me."

She shivered when the warmth of his breath puffed against her skin, but didn't protest when Sasuke quickly led her through the throng of people to someplace that was considerably quieter.

XXX

Near the veranda, but not too far from the banquet table, Naruto was _still _lamenting at the severe lack of ramen. _(_"It's a crime against nature!" He moaned.) Even though she couldn't help but blush at having her arm settled in the crook of his, their fingers interlaced, Hinata was more concerned about Sasuke possibly giving into his blood lust than anything Naruto was doing.

This was probably the most delicate mission that Sasuke was ever going to be on. Couldn't Naruto show just a little bit more concern?

"Naruto-kun," she stopped worrying her lip long enough to address him. She refused to look at him. It helped, she had found, to keep her stuttering under control. "Do you think Sasuke-san's all right?"

Naruto looked over at her for a moment before trying to find his friend and sometimes rival. He stayed silent for a moment, watching before turning back to Hinata, grinning broadly. The Hyuuga heiress did quite a wonderful job at impersonating a tomato.

"Don't worry Hina-chan! No one's screaming yet. I think teme's got everything under control!"

Somehow, Naruto's words weren't as reassuring as they were supposed to be but she wasn't sure why.

* * *

I hope enjoyed this chapter. Thanks to everyone who reviewed before. I'm going to try not to make this too clichéd, but we'll see. This was surprisingly difficult. Hopefully the next one won't be as bad.

As always, review are excellent inspiration. Thanks for reading!


	4. The One Whom She Chooses

**The Inheritance**

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Chapter 3  
The One Whom She Chose

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After the first time she had nearly tripped as he rushed her out of the expansive dance hall, he gathered her up in his arms and almost ran out of the building with her. Her cheeks flamed hotly and she concentrated on the unyielding blackness of his jacket. Within moments the whispers were starting like a coil. She had a sudden urge to just bury her face in the crook of his neck and she probably would have if it wasn't for the fact that she feared what would happen if her father or Masato-kun saw. She was worried enough about the repercussions of just leaving the Honda heir when this man had asked her to dance. He burst through the glass doors leading out to the veranda, and she wrapped her arms around his neck with a breathless shriek when he _jumped._

Several feet in the air.

Her stomach plummeted as the ground came rushing down to meet him, and this time she really did bury her face in the crook of his neck.

There was a sort of jolting sensation, but she couldn't quite bring herself to look around and see the source of it. All she could do was trust this man—whose name she _still_ didn't know—and hope that he didn't drop her. The night air had more bite to it than she expected and she shivered.

As if a key had been turned in some lock, he quite suddenly stopped. There was no more jolting, no more sensation of movement. The night breeze played with the curls of her hair, but it wasn't until something warm settled over her bare shoulders that she was able to pull away and look at him. When she took notice of her surroundings and the fact that they were in a _tree__,_ she promptly squeaked and wrapped her arms around his neck again.

"I'm not going to let you fall." There was more than just slight annoyance in his voice, as he slid his arm around her waist and Sakura had to bite her lip to stop herself from squeaking again when he pulled her against him.

Flushing, she forced herself to pull back from him just a little bit. There was something about him, although she wasn't quite sure what, that made her want to trust him. As long as she didn't look down she would be fine.

By the gods, she _hated_ heights.

XXX

The moment Sasuke had disappeared with Imonoyama's daughter, Hinata was tracking them. Although it was a positive sign that no one had died yet, she was still worried with how strangely he was acting.

"Where's Naruto?"

She didn't look over at Kakashi-sensei when he appeared behind her. "He's harassing the caterers over the lack of ramen."

The silver haired jounin let out a long suffered sigh. "Of course he is."

"Sasuke has kidnapped the target." She watched him from the corner of her eyes, curious to see his expression. The champagne flutes he carried still covered the bottom half of his face.

Kakashi blinked and followed her gaze in the direction that Sasuke had disappeared to.

"Well, isn't that interesting…"

Hinata eyed Kakashi curiously, not entirely surprised by his lack of response.

"Is that going to be a problem?"

Kakashi followed Hinata's gaze, but unsurprisingly his face revealed nothing.

XXX

Her scent was so soothing. For the first time in a long while Sasuke was content to just hold someone. He liked the way that she pressed her lithe form to his. Her slender arms wrapped around his shoulders as she took notice of their surroundings. She trembled slightly but he wasn't sure if it was from the slight chill in the air or her apparent fear of heights. Either way it really didn't matter.

Sasuke wrapped his arms around her -- after all he didn't want her to get cold -- and settled his hands on her hips. She didn't seem to mind, she wasn't tense like she had been when she had noticed the man she had previously been dancing with staring at them. It was strange, but he almost felt like grinning when she rested her head against his chest.

"Thank you."

It only occurred to him, as he closed his eyes at the soft, lilting quality of her voice that he realized he really hadn't heard her speak. Her fingers curled into his suit jacket, and Sasuke knew that he would be able to stay like this for as long as it was necessary to convince this woman that she belonged to him. No longer did it matter that the mission would require him to be in constant contact with her in order to infiltrate her father's organization. That thought left a sour taste in the back of his throat that he decided he wouldn't think about just yet. Tonight's purpose had been to just seek her out and hold her interest long enough for her to invite him back. By the way she was relaxing against him so easily, Sasuke knew that this first part of the mission was already accomplished. He would relish in the time that he could spend with her tonight.

The silence that followed her words was interrupted only by the sweet trill of bird song. He didn't care to interrupt it and was content to breathe in the way her scent mingled with the sweet blossoms that surrounded them.

"I just realized something." She said, finally breaking the silence. "I don't even know your name."

"Sasuke. Uchiha Sasuke." His surname seemed to almost be said as an afterthought. As if he was reluctant to reveal it.

It was foolish to reveal so much information—especially on this estate—where he and his affiliations could be tracked back too easily. It was foolish…but, _Gods_, her scent was intoxicating and the traces of bare skin that his fingers touched were so wonderfully smooth. Besides Itachi was always telling him what a foolish little brother he was, wasn't he?

"Sasuke." She said his name slowly, and he savored the way it seemed to just roll off her lips.

Sasuke looked down at her just as she pulled her head away from his chest and looked at him. He should have despaired at how impossible it was for him to stop himself from tucking a loose tendril of pink hair behind her delicate ear, but he was too fascinated at the rosy flush of her cheeks and how her blush crawled over her pale skin. He pulled her closer, relishing in the way her skin flushed even darker, and he curled his fingers and cupped her jaw so that the pad of his thumb rested against her. He smirked as her breath hitched, and felt something rather dark and primal when her painted lips parted so slightly.

XXX

Was he going to kiss her? Gods she wanted him to kiss her. There were so many things wrong with this situation, too many things that she knew she would be paying for in the morning. After all, her father had been so very specific that she favor Masato-kun. (What did that say about her that a man could intimidate her so easily that she couldn't even _think_ about him with the honorific?) The reasoning for that was something that she understood all too well and the possibility scared her witless. Yet, here she was, _up a tree_, and all of those very real, very serious repercussions seemed so very unimportant at the moment.

Really, all she wanted was for this man, this _Sasuke_, to kiss her.

His dark eyes burned with something that might have been dark amusement, and Sakura wondered if, perhaps, he knew exactly what he was doing to her, and was only taking that much greater amusement in doing so.

That thought alone was enough to cause her skin to burn with a vague humiliation, but before she was even able to retort and demand that he bring her back to solid ground he had tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. His touch _burned_ and she couldn't help but swallow thickly when his thumb rested against her neck.

Sakura was quite certain that the term devastatingly handsome had been created solely for this man.

That girlish, feminine part of her—the part that she always needed to keep buried around her father's associates if she wanted to maintain her sanity—wanted to ask him to kiss her. She wanted to tug on his unruly, spiky hair, and lower his head until he was kissing her. She wanted to demand that he kiss her.

She had never been kissed by someone she truly liked before.

The memories of kisses that had been an assortment of wet, harsh and painful, and demanding was enough to sober her enough to allow herself to concentrate on something besides the feel of him. She tried to remember if she had ever told him her name and failed miserably. Gods, those eyes were mesmerizing and was she hallucinating or could she really see flecks of crimson in those obsidian depths.

"What?" His mouth was moving and he looked a little too smug by the time Sakura realized that she had actually tried to say something.

It was times like this when she was thankful that women seemed to have a separate brain for their hormones.

"My name." Her voice caught and she flushed. "My name is—"

"Sakura." The tones of his voice were so rich that it reminded her of melted chocolate and her eyes half fluttered shut.

Against her will, Sakura found herself half slumping against him and was so very thankful when one part of her brain managed to connect that he did indeed know her name, but wasn't that a bit odd?

The part of her that was having a difficult time _not_ concentrating on his heat honestly couldn't remember if it was odd or not.

Still the memory of what had happened the last time someone she was unfamiliar with had known her name was fresh enough that all she needed was to take a deep breath and curl her fingers so that her nails were digging into her skin, and Sakura was able to look away from him and pull away from his embrace enough that she could breathe again. When she dared to glance back up at him, the look in his eyes had soothed into something that was a bit more contemplative.

She wasn't still quite sure if the flecks of crimson were the result of that horrible memory.

Suddenly she felt so very cold.

XXX

"How do you know my name?"

When the sweetness of her scent had changed, become tainted with something that was vaguely reminiscent of fear, he had expected her to say something. His skin crawled uncomfortably—that damnable itch was back—at the possibility of her being afraid. He was confident enough with the knowledge that it wasn't because of anything he had said or done, but the hint of fear was unsettling. Her eyes were uncertain, and the hand that she placed on his chest shook ever so slightly.

It was a painful reminder as to whose daughter she was, and the reason he was even given the chance to approach her in the first place.

If he had been capable of it, Sasuke would have given her a charming smile that would have allayed her fears. A smirk didn't seem appropriate, and at a loss he settled for his default, a coldly neutral expression. He tightened his grip around her waist and pulled her back towards him (after all, it wouldn't do if she fell out of a tree) and touched her silky hair.

"You are the only daughter of Ryuichi Imonoyama-sama." It was difficult to say the words. "It's rather common knowledge."

She went so very still and he could feel her starting to withdraw from him. Sasuke tightened his grip on her waist, tensing to jump off the branch. He should have known better. Even before he had activated the curse seal, he had never been very good at censoring his words. Even if they were truth.

"So is that the only reason you…"

Her voice trailed off when he tensed, and he took advantage of the uncertainty in her eyes to pull her closer so he could gather her properly in his arms. She muffled her shriek in his chest as he leapt down from the tree.

He really didn't know how to answer her. If he denied that he came to this party simply because of whose daughter she was then it would be a lie. He had lied to people before and it caused him no great regrets. After all, it came with being a ninja. Lies and deception were part of the job, part of who they were. What he didn't like was the thought of what would happen if she found out that he had lied to her.

For some reason the thought of her rejecting him for something so trivial made him feel sick…and it caused his blood to burn with something dark and horrid.

He couldn't even dare to risk telling her a lie. If it wasn't for Naruto he might consider it—he certainly couldn't trust the dobe to keep quiet about something like this.

So he grit his teeth, and smoothed her hair as he set her down on the ground. He took reassurance in the way her hand lingered on his chest.

"The reason why I came here," Yes, that sounded like a good way to start it. "Is because of an invitation that I received from your father…"

He didn't like the way that her eyes darkened.

"I didn't approach you because of that." The words were flowing out of him before he could stop them. "I say you dancing with…with that man." _I wanted to kill him_. "I saw you afterwards. You looked lonely. I—" He wanted to say that he could relate but it was too difficult to form the words.

Even though Sasuke felt so horribly awkward he liked the way that her cheeks pinkened and her wonderfully green eyes flicked downwards. He curled his finger around a stray, pink curl. His hand splayed on her hip, and he really couldn't think much past the pounding in his blood. He didn't bother to try and stop his growl as he pulled Sakura close until her breasts were nearly crushed against his chest. He smirked at the way that her breath quickened and he grazed his freshly trimmed nails over her pale skin. He didn't like how her dress showed off too much skin as his hand curled over the slender line of her neck.

XXX

His touch was so hot against her skin that had been cooled by the chill in the air and she shivered. Sakura knew what was happening, she could taste it, and she couldn't quite stop herself from wetting her lips at the hot gleam in his eyes. She was hardly even aware that she had whispered Sasuke's name or that her eyes had fluttered shut because, at the end of the day, these were all rather unimportant and clichéd things and he was kissing her.

There was something so unbelievably possessive about his kiss. She had been kissed by overtly possessive men before and always they had made her stomach roll with something horrid. There was nothing horrid about Sasuke's kiss. Her hands gripped his jacket as he cradled her jaw, his other hand resting on the small of her back, the tips of his fingers touching the bare skin just above her dress. She moaned low in her throat when he nipped at her lower lip. She liked the firm feel of his body and his heat, and the way that he refused to let her at least _attempt_ to take control.

It was like being in the tree. The subtle play of his muscles that she could feel, even though the layer of clothing, should have scared her. It should have terrified her that she was helpless to do anything but respond to his silent demands.

She just didn't like the way she felt cold and lost when he pulled away suddenly.

Her heart was pounding in her ears, and even as she brought her fingers to her lips, she found herself wanting more. Sakura felt unbalanced with him not touching her, and she grabbed his arm, flushing when she realized how she liked it when he wrapped his arm around her waist in a manner that was every bit as possessive as his kiss.

It took her several moments and several calming breaths to realize that someone was calling. They were calling for Sasuke, which was a relief.

He growled something under his breath that had her looking up at him. Something about ramen and idiots. She really didn't understand, but he was guiding her to the path that led back to the pavilion.

They didn't speak on the way back, and the silence was comforting. She had been on too many dates, with too many men who had only talked about useless things and only made her feel like an object.

When they came back to the pavilion she wasn't entirely surprised to find people waiting for them.

Sakura tilted her head at the silver haired waiter that seemed to be lingering on the edge as if waiting for them, before disappearing inside. The couple that was waiting for them seemed…different, somehow, from anyone that she had ever met. The woman was attractive in a way that Sakura had always secretly hoped to be with long, dark hair that fell gracefully over her shoulders. Her milky eyes were unusual, but made her appear exotic, there was something about the way this woman held herself at her companion's side was a certain grace that Sakura had always tried to achieve when her mother was still alive. It was the woman's—Hinata, she was vaguely aware of Sasuke introducing her— companion that made her pause and give him a closer look.

Her first impression of him was that he was…_bright_.

When he grinned in her direction she couldn't stop herself from smiling shyly. She felt a little foolish, but they seemed kind enough. Of course, all of this seemed rather unimportant because she was glancing past the couple and into the ball room. There was Masato-kun and her father glowering at her in that horrible way and it would have had her backing away if it hadn't been for Sasuke's arm around her waist she would have backed out towards the gardens. She couldn't quite stop herself when her hand groped for his arm. Her back twinged uncomfortably with shadow pains, memories, and she swallowed thickly.

She didn't hear the questions that Sasuke's—were they friends?—companions were asking her. All she could concentrate on how they were stepping closer, passing through the French doors, and the expression on her father's face was horrible. She was hardly aware of the gasp from Hinata or that strange sound that reminded her of the growl of a wild animal. It was hard for Sakura to concentrate on anything else but the almost menacing way that he said her name. She didn't know who it was that said it, all she knew was that she _needed _to get away.

"Sakura." Her father's mouth was pulled into an awful grimace as his hard viridian eyes glanced over at Hinata and her escort before finally resting on the man behind her. "Who is this?"

She had to swallow several times before she could force herself to speak.

"Daddy…this is Sasuke and…" she tried to remember their full names and failed. "His companions. Sasuke-kun was kind enough to walk me around the gardens."

"Sasuke?" Masato-kun's voice was filled with contempt. "So he doesn't even warrant a last name."

Sakura's eyes went wide as they flew to her father, and what she saw on his face made her stop.

"You…" Her father's voice sounded an octave higher then normal. "…you're an Uchiha."

It was strange, but she had this odd feeling that there was something going on that she didn't quite understand. Her father looked too pale and when she turned her head she noticed how Hinata's eyes were wide and her blonde haired companion looked wary. It was only then that she realized that the arm around her waist was tighter, and his chest seemed to vibrate with something that was so very close to a growl.

Sakura swallowed when her father pinned her with that horrible glare. Then he was turning away, nodding briefly at Masato-kun. "My apologies, Honda-san, but it appears that she has already made her decision. Perhaps," and she was quite certain that he hadn't meant for anyone to hear it, "if something were to happen…" and then they were out of earshot.

It was only years of experience that told her that they had come so very to avoiding something…She bit the inside of her cheek at the horrible memory of the tang of blood, and she couldn't quite bring herself to turn around and look at the one behind her.

The one, she just realized, that her father was expecting her to marry.

* * *

**It's been ages since I update. Sorry for the wait.**


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